- the Maiden Factor to campaign promoting equal access to education for girls from all backgrounds and countries
- they were forced to put their voyage on hold in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic causing a threat to crew safety
- Maiden is back with a new schedule and new title sponsor, global logistics leader, DP World, and a new focus
- the “DP World Tour” with Maiden will begin in January 2022 from Dubai, UAE, and will continue its mission to reach 40 destinations in 20 countries
Inmarsat is delighted to return as Official Communications Partner to The Maiden Factor, the round-the-world sailing campaign promoting equal access to education for girls from all backgrounds and countries says an article on Inmarsat.
All-female crew
Spearheaded by iconic sailing legend Tracy Edwards, Maiden’s campaign began in 2018, which saw a rotating all-female crew sail over 33,000 miles around the globe, visiting over 23 destinations in 12 countries.
Pandemic put a hold on their voyage
However, they were forced to put their voyage on hold in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic causing a threat to crew safety and preventing spare parts from reaching the yacht, although campaigning online continued.
‘Maiden is back’
But now Maiden is back with a new schedule and new title sponsor, global logistics leader, DP World, and a new focus. The “DP World Tour” with Maiden will begin in January 2022 from Dubai, UAE, and will continue its mission to reach 40 destinations in 20 countries.
Connected across the oceans
And once again they can rely on our connectivity to stay safe and in touch wherever they sail, through our FleetBroadband 250 service for seamless voice and broadband data communications.
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
The yacht is also equipped with our Global Maritime Distress and Safety System-approved Inmarsat C service to provide all-important safety services, along with two IsatPhone 2 satellite phones stowed in the lifeboat’s grab bag in case of an emergency.
An incredible journey
Maiden’s original journey started back in 1990, when she was sailed by the first all-female team to compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race (now The Ocean Race), setting a new world record for women’s sailing and finishing second in class overall.
Maiden factor foundation
Tracy Edwards was the skipper of the Maiden in that awe-inspiring race but sadly in 2014, she discovered that the boat that had helped her make history for women’s sailing was rotting in Seychelles. This inspired her to create The Maiden Factor Foundation to raise money to rescue Maiden so that the yacht could be brought back to the UK to be restored.
Three decades later
Twenty-eight years after Tracy’s record-breaking achievement – which remains unbroken by any UK male or female team – she watched as Maiden began another incredible voyage around the world. Leaving from Southampton, Maiden began her purposeful journey in 2018, sharing a “Message of Hope” baton at each dock she stopped at.
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Source: Inmarsat
